Matt Araiza will start as the Kansas City Chiefs’ punter this season, two years after the Buffalo Bills cut him amid allegations of rape in a lawsuit.
The rape lawsuit was dropped, and Araiza signed with the Chiefs in February. He battled in camp with Ryan Rhekow for the starting punter job, and by the end of the preseason, he was the team’s full-time punter.
Araiza officially made the cut as the Chiefs trimmed down their roster to 53 men on Tuesday.
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Kansas City Chiefs punter Matt Araiza, #49, on the sidelines against the Detroit Lions during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Aug. 17, 2024. (Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports)
Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub explained last month why Araiza was set to become the starting punter.
“Both of those guys did a great job. Ryan Rehkow did a great job, the kid from BYU we had. It was a tough decision,” Toub said, via Chiefs Wire. “It wasn’t really cut and dry, but in the end, Matt was a little more consistent day to day. Being a lefty punter, a little bit older, I think we made that choice to go with it. I didn’t want to go into this camp with two guys.”
Toub suggested that Araiza may provide a different look for punt returners given that he is a left.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid also spoke briefly about Araiza on Aug. 5.
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Kansas City Chiefs punter Matt Araiza, #49, walks from the locker room to the field prior to training camp at Missouri Western State University in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 26, 2024. (Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports)
“I like him,” Reid said. “Just keep working – consistency always as you go. You can see it – I mean he’s booming the thing.”
Araiza also spoke at the time about whether he thought he would be able to punt again.
“There were times that I didn’t and there were times that I did,” he said. “Honestly it kept going back and forth in my mind. Yeah, there was a lot of moments where I thought it was over. I’m incredibly grateful to be here.”
Araiza will likely get his first opportunity to punt next week when the Chiefs open their season against the Baltimore Ravens. He said he knew how special the moment will be.
“It’s going to be pretty surreal. Definitely going to take it all in,” he said. “Like I said, just grateful for the opportunity and grateful to get back to that moment because that is my favorite thing is being out there in a pressure situation, in a game, with a rush, pads on (and) everything. I think that’s when I’m at my best so I can’t wait to get back out there.”
The lawsuit against Araiza was dropped in December.
Kansas City Chiefs punter Matt Araiza, #49, walks down the hill from the locker room to the fields prior to training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, on July 22, 2024. (Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports)
Known as the “Punt God” at San Diego State, the Bills selected him in the sixth round of the 2022 draft. However, he was released before the start of the season after the lawsuit came out.
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He was the 2021 Ray Guy Award winner – given to the best college punter – and was an All-American that same year.
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